Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



C. E. IBILLINGS.

BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARM. No. 169,335.

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MPETERS, PMOTn-UTMOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

Patented Nov. 2,1875.

side view of my improvement with the side UNITED STATES PATENT Qrrron.

CHARLES E. BILLINGS, or

H ARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 169.335, dated November2, 1875; application filed May 3 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. BILLINGS, of Hartford, in the county ofHartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof, whereby a person skilledin the art.can make and use the same, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawing, and to the letters of ref erence marked thereon.

Like letters in the figures indicate the same parts.

My invention relates to that class of breechloadiug fire-arms which areprovided with a backward and upward moving breech-block in the rear ofthe cartridge.

My invention consists in the combination and arrangement of the parts ofthe lockingbolt and firing-pin, whereby the firing-pin is alwaysretracted when the breech is opened or closed. It also consists in thecombination of devices for extracting the cartridge-shell by opening thebreech after the piece has been discharged.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure lis a plate which covers the workingparts removed so as to show the interior mechanism. Fig. 2 is across-section through the breech-block on the line a: a: of Fig. 1. Fig.3 is a horizontal section through the breech-block, showing theconnection between the locking-bolt and the firing-pin.

A A is the stock. B is the barrel. 0 is the movable breech-block,turning upward and backward upon the hinge c. D is the locking boltforsecuring the breech-block in place when it is closed. It is operated bythe handle E upon the side of the breech-block, and is pressed forwardby the springs placed in a recess within the breech-block. F is thefiring-pin, running from end to end of the breech-block within asuitably-formed recess or chamber. It is cylindrical in form and movesfreely back and forth a small distance in the usual manner. At itsforward end it is provided with the projection a, which passes throughthe forward end of the breech-block for the purpose of acting upon andfiring the fulminate of the cartridge when blow from the hammer H. Thisprojection a is upon the outer edge or circumference of the pin F, andthis latter is so placed in the breechblock that, when it is closed, thediameter of F corresponds with the lower half of the vertical diameterof the bore of the barrel. The pin F is also made reversible, so thatwhen one side is uppermost the projection a is at the center of the borefor firing a central-fire cartridge, and when the other side isuppermost it is at the edge of the bore for firing a rim-fire cartridge.A short distance back from the front of the breech-block the pin F has ashoulder, 12, against which the arm d, connected with the locking-boltD, rests when both the parts F and D are in their most forward position.If D is drawn back it draws back the pin F, while F is free to moveindependently of D when the latter is in the position shown in thedrawing. It will therefore be observed that the opening or closing ofthe breech-block, which requires the retracting of the bolt D, willalways retract the firing-pin F, so that it cannot come in contact witheither the cartridge or the end of the barrel. The firing-pin F has aflattened portion, 0, where it passes over the pin 0, forming thehingejoint of the block 0. This retains it in place and prevents itsturning or being withdrawn. H is the hammer of a lock, operated in thecustomary manner by a spring, I, and trigger J. This hammer strikes therear end of the firing-pin to drive it forward and ignite the charge. Itenters a recess in the breech-block at its rear end, and serves to lockthe breechblock when shut. G is a projection upon the under side of thehinged breech-block C. Its inclined front surface g serves as aninclined plane toforce in the cartridge, as the breech block is closed,in case the whole length has not been properly inserted into the barrel.K is the ejecting-lever. Its upper end enters a slot in the rear end ofthe barrel, and rests under the rim of the cartridge-case when the armis charged in the position shown by the full lines in Fig. 1. It turnsupon a pin, is, and is attached at its lower end to the springbar L.This bar L rests and slides upon the bottom of the lock-case, so thatits rear end presses upward against the rear end of the the firing-pinis driven suddenly forward by a breechblock under the part forming thehinge.

-with the end 0 of the bar.

It has a nick, l, which engages with a'projec tion, mi-upon thebreech-block when the breech has been opened to the position shown bythe full lines in Fig. 1. This starts the cartridge case by the pushingforward of the bar L. As the breech-block continues to open the rearpart of the projection m pushes ofi the end 0 of the bar L, so that thenick lis released and the bar L remains stationary until the projectionn upon the breech-block comes in contact This again moves it forward andcompletes the extraction. of the cartridgw when the breech is fullyopen, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination of the locking-boltD with the firing-pin F, by means of the conmeeting-pin d and shoulderb, so that the liting-pin is retracted Whenever the breech is opened orclosed, but is free to move forward sufficiently to fire the charge whenthe breech is locked substantially as herein described.

2. The combination of the lever K and the spring-bar L With theprojections m and n on the rear of the breech-block to form anextracting mechanism operated by the movement of the breech-block,substantially as herein described.

' CHARLES E. BILLINGS. Witnesses:

THEO. G. ELLIs, WENDELL R. CURTIS.

